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Monday, 13 January 2014

Firstly, apologies for not posting regularly, my life has shifted up several gears with work and at home so war-gaming has been put on the back-burner.

Secondly, Apologies for not having any models to show you! I have barely had the time to buy new stuff let alone build or paint!

However, all is not lost! as a long term project I am writing a story around the Blades of Fire Chapter

The Story told via an interrogation between Squad Leader Alexandros and Inquisitor Tiberius, with these interrogation sequences linking the parts of the story together. At the moment I plan to have 3 main segments to the novel - the first will detail the chapters history and how they turned renegade, the second part will introduce Alexandros properly and show the struggle between the two factions and the third will be a climactic campaign and ultimately explain how Alexandros ended up a prisoner

Heres a little teaser

Prologue

He
awoke.

He was still in
his cell, still in the darkness, still a prisoner. His wounds were healing
well, he was thankful for the assistance of the Imperial Guard medical staff
for he doubted that, even with the constitution granted to him by his geneseed,
he would not have survived without them. They were not unskilled, if a little
sloppy with some of the sutures and stiches. The scars would serve as a
reminder to him. He thought back through his actions that had lead him to this
point, the victories and sacrifices, his purpose.

There was a
disturbance outside that distracted him from his thoughts; footsteps and
voices. He could not make out their words but there was surprise in their
tones, and urgency. A new voice spoke, then silence. After a while a crack of
light appeared at the doorway, a sight he had seen before with the many
interrogations he had endured but this felt different. He would wait to see
what events unfolded. After all, he wasn’t going anywhere.

A figure appeared
in the doorway, silhouetted but the brilliant light from outside, his arm moved
slowly and switched on the lighting system. His eyes strained as light flooded
the room. It was several moments before he could make out the details of his
surroundings, the figure had placed a small tome on a desk that occupied the
centre of the cell, and had moved to the far corner near the door. The uniform
was familiar to him, the face was not. The figures rank insignia and other
regimental markings on the uniform betrayed that he was Junior Officer and that
had had some specialist training and had proven himself in battle. The soldier
stood motionless and seemed not to notice him, the pair waited in a long
silence. After an what seemed an extensive amount of time another figure
entered the cell, he wore a dark, heavy robe with a hood that obscured his
face, he noticed it bore the symbol of the Imperial Inquisition, specifically the
mark of the Ordo Xenos.

Ordo Xenos? He
doubted himself for a moment but he confirmed with another glance. What was the
Ordo Xenos doing here in the aftermath of a Chaos Insurrection? And why is this
one interested in interrogating him? He would have to tread carefully, and
think about his words, both spoken and unspoken.

The robed man
took off his hood, and revealed a handsome, youthful looking man, although it
seems that ages was catching up with the man, his hair was greying and his face
began to wrinkle at the eyes and forehead. The man gestured for the Soldier to
leave, and so the soldier did sealing the cell door behind, leaving just the
two. Then the man spoke.

His voice was
deep, authoritative, commanding. The man moved to the desk and placed his hand
on the tome that had been placed there. Alexandros remained still, trying to
glean more information from the man. The man was well built; his hair was short
and dark. Alexandros also noticed that the inquisitor had aural amplification
replacing his left ear, with what appeared to be burns down that side of his
head and neck. The man also walked with a cane, although it seemed that he did
not rely on it for mobility.

“You are
undaunted by the presence of the Holy Inquisition, despite your status as a
traitor. Perhaps you have had dealings with the Inquisition prior our present
meeting?”

The man was being
very…. Diplomatic with choice of words, subtlety hinting at greater knowledge
of events. This unsettled Alexandros

The man paused,
awaiting a response

“Do not be
concerned, it appears we have a…… mutual acquaintance”

The Inquisitor
produce a small medallion form his robe, a medallion that Alexandros recognised

“I have been sent
as a way of settling accounts, and to assist you on your mission, if you’ll
allow it”

Alexandros
allowed himself to relax a little, although he still did not fully trust the
man in front of him, he trusted that medallion and he was grateful to know that
his friend had not abandoned him

“But where are my
manners? I am Inquisitor Lord Tiberius of the Ordo Xenos. I have heard of your
exploits, both in this theatre and previously”

He picked up the
tome off the table

“I will
ultimately need your report on current events, but first there is the small
matter of your loyalty…”

“Do you think me
a traitor, My Lord” Alexandros finally spoke

“I do not make
decisions based on rumour and speculation in matters of import such as this. In
circumstances such as these one must go to the most reliable source available,
in this case to the person most deeply connected to the subject matter. I have
never underestimated the potency of simple…”

“Interrogation, my
lord?” Interrupted Alexandros

“….Questioning”
Tiberius corrected “At present your entire chapter has been branded as
traitors, however I am compiling a report that may make some headway in
differentiating between those who have fallen, and those whom still fight for
the Emperor”

“I need to know
of your history, and that of your chapter” replied the Inquisitor “I know Space
Marines keep such knowledge hidden from prying eyes, and although I will not
force you to share such intimate information, You should be aware that this
report will greatly aid your mission”

“Before I tell
you about myself, or the state in which my chapter now finds itself in I must
first tell you of our past, our greatness and our glory. So that you may know
just what we have lost” Alexandros said as he took a seat at the table.

“You have my full
attention” replied Tiberius, tome and quill firmly in hand